Suspended vehicles of the monorail trolley-type and others are known. The idea of being suspended in mid-air while moving along a track or cable predates the development of monorail technology. Most commonly, adults and children have found amusement in securing a rope or cable across a body of water, suspending themselves from a movable device attached to the rope or cable, sliding part way across the body of water, and then dropping from the device into the water.
Monorail systems also exist where the monorail trolley is intended to travel the full distance of the track. The trolley is usually stopped more or less abruptly after making contact with a stop located at each end of the track.
Monorail systems of this type have practical use in playground systems for the amusement of children. However, when the trolley makes contact with the stop, a child suspended from the trolley is likely to suffer significant injury if the trolley is stopped abruptly. Furthermore, since children often play together, there would be a likelihood that the child holding on to the trolley would be propelled into the stop by other children on the playground. Thus, the child holding onto the trolley could be significantly harmed by falling off the trolley and landing incorrectly, or by being catapulted off the trolley into a support structure or other children playing nearby.
In monorail systems for children, where a child holds on to the trolley until it reaches a stop, there is a need for a braking system which cushions the impact of the trolley to prevent undue harm to the child. The invention provides such a cushioned braking system.